Kristen Stewart isn't interested in making a traditional Hollywood film; instead, she's going for something more avant-garde and artistic with her directorial debut "The Chronology of Water." The movie is an experimental arthouse collage that explores themes of memory loss, desire, and the reclamation of power - particularly through the female body.
Stewart's passion project was inspired by Lidia Yuknavitch's memoir about a woman's pain and loss, and the author herself has praised Stewart for bringing the book to life in such an innovative way. "Language is a metaphor for experience," Yuknavitch writes at the beginning of the book. "It's as arbitrary as this mass of chaotic images we call memory."
The film features Imogen Poots as Lidia, who plays the adult version of the protagonist, alongside Kristen Stewart herself. The movie tackles some heavy subjects like period blood, stillbirth, and familial sexual abuse but presents them in a poetic and fantastical way that marries the boundaries between reality and fantasy.
Stewart's vision for the film was unapologetically feminist and empowered, and she believes that language is a key to unlocking female power. "You have to be Virginia Woolf to be considered a good writer," Stewart says with conviction. She wanted her cast - which includes Kim Gordon, Thora Birch, and Jim Belushi - to understand the importance of the role they were playing in supporting her vision.
The film's unconventional narrative structure is another bold move by Stewart, who deliberately rejected traditional Hollywood formulas. The actors played a kind of "conveyor belt" effect on set, with men coming and going quickly as characters, allowing Poots to be at the center of every scene.
Birch, who plays Lidia's older sister, describes Stewart as her "spirit animal," saying that they both started out performing young and have managed to maintain their individuality despite the pressures of fame. Birch praises Stewart for bringing a bold, punk-rock aesthetic to the film, describing it as a non-psychedelic ayahuasca trip.
Overall, Kristen Stewart's directorial debut is a daring and unapologetic statement about female power, identity, and creativity. It may not be for everyone, but those who respond to its unique vision will undoubtedly find themselves transformed by the experience.
Stewart's passion project was inspired by Lidia Yuknavitch's memoir about a woman's pain and loss, and the author herself has praised Stewart for bringing the book to life in such an innovative way. "Language is a metaphor for experience," Yuknavitch writes at the beginning of the book. "It's as arbitrary as this mass of chaotic images we call memory."
The film features Imogen Poots as Lidia, who plays the adult version of the protagonist, alongside Kristen Stewart herself. The movie tackles some heavy subjects like period blood, stillbirth, and familial sexual abuse but presents them in a poetic and fantastical way that marries the boundaries between reality and fantasy.
Stewart's vision for the film was unapologetically feminist and empowered, and she believes that language is a key to unlocking female power. "You have to be Virginia Woolf to be considered a good writer," Stewart says with conviction. She wanted her cast - which includes Kim Gordon, Thora Birch, and Jim Belushi - to understand the importance of the role they were playing in supporting her vision.
The film's unconventional narrative structure is another bold move by Stewart, who deliberately rejected traditional Hollywood formulas. The actors played a kind of "conveyor belt" effect on set, with men coming and going quickly as characters, allowing Poots to be at the center of every scene.
Birch, who plays Lidia's older sister, describes Stewart as her "spirit animal," saying that they both started out performing young and have managed to maintain their individuality despite the pressures of fame. Birch praises Stewart for bringing a bold, punk-rock aesthetic to the film, describing it as a non-psychedelic ayahuasca trip.
Overall, Kristen Stewart's directorial debut is a daring and unapologetic statement about female power, identity, and creativity. It may not be for everyone, but those who respond to its unique vision will undoubtedly find themselves transformed by the experience.